Remains found in 2022 ID’d as man who vanished leaving casino, Missouri cops say
Remains discovered in Missouri in 2022 have now been identified as those of a Kentucky man who had mysteriously vanished, authorities say.
Robert Eaton, of Louisville, had last been seen at Caesars Southern Indiana Casino on Feb. 20, 2022, according to Othram Inc., a company that assisted the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri.
His family filed a missing persons report when he did not return home from the casino, according to WHAS.
Crews searched the southern Indiana and nearby Louisville region for Eaton, but they were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, in Portageville, Missouri, deputies began investigating the discovery of a body found in the Mississippi River on June 2, according to the sheriff. The town is more than a 300-mile drive southwest from where Eaton was last seen.
Authorities were unable to identify the body, only being able to determine the victim was a man between 18 and 29, deputies said. There were no signs of trauma.
After two years of not being able to positively identify the victim, DNA testing was done on the man’s body. New leads were developed following its completion.
“Following up on these leads, New Madrid County Sheriff’s investigators found that one of the potential relatives in the genealogy report had made social media posts regarding a missing loved one who matched the demographic profile developed for Portageville John Doe,” the sheriff said.
Additional testing involving the John Doe’s relatives confirmed the body was that of Eaton, who at this point had been missing for more than three years.
The sheriff said in a June 3 news release that Eaton’s family traveled to Missouri on May 30 to retrieve the man’s remains.
“They assured us that they are finally at peace, and they took some comfort in the fact that this case opened the door to new techniques that will change the way we investigate these cases in New Madrid County,” Sheriff Joey Higgerson said.
Othram said it remains unclear how Eaton died. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Harrison County (Indiana) Sheriff’s Department at 812-738-2195.
Eaton was a 2014 graduate of Pleasure Ridge Park High School in Louisville, where he was a member of a state championship baseball team, according to an obituary.
“He loved his friends and family deeply and he will be remembered by his kind heart, sweet smile and comforting presence,” loved ones said.
This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 10:17 AM with the headline "Remains found in 2022 ID’d as man who vanished leaving casino, Missouri cops say."